Renowned maestro Pandit Satish Vyas has an outstanding reputation as a soloist on the santoor (hammered dulcimer). He has been a concert artist for more than 30 years, performing and recording all over the world. In 1997, he was the only non-Western instrumentalist to play at the Mostra Mozart Festival in Venice.

Uppalapu Rajesh is a mandolin maestro in Carnatic classical music, who is one of the most sought-after classical artists currently performing in India. He has played with nearly all of the top musical stars in the country and recorded more than a dozen albums.

Both artists come from musical families, who taught them from a young age. Satish Vyas is the son of the late Padma Bhushan Pandit CR Vyas, one of the most respected vocalists on the Indian music scene; while Rajesh was tutored by his father U Satyanarayana and brother U Srinivas, with whom he performed at WOMADelaide 2009. Vyas and Rajesh will perform together, accompanied by percussionists Swaminathan Selvaganesh and Mukundraj Deo.

Presented with the Spirit of India Fund by arrangement with Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival